News Archive
3/8/2022
Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics Scotland - 2 August 2022
Scotland's Chief Statistician has published statistics on Police Officer Quarterly Strength, which gives the number of full-time equivalent police officers employed by Police Scotland. The key findings of the statistics are: there were 16,610 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 30 June 2022.
2/8/2022
Brand New Pension Scheme Launches In Great Britain
The pensions sector has received an injection of innovation today as a brand new type of pension scheme officially opened for applications in Great Britain. Collective Defined Contribution pension schemes, or CDCs for short, will offer an alternative to the UK's two primary pension scheme models, Defined Contribution (DC) and Defined Benefit (DB).2/8/2022
HMRC - Couples Urged To "Say Yes" To Marriage Allowance Proposal
At the height of the wedding season, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding married couples and people in civil partnerships to put extra cash at the top of their gift list and sign up for Marriage Allowance. Marriage Allowance allows married couples or people in civil partnerships, including those who have been together for many years, to share their personal tax allowances if one partner earns below the Personal Allowance threshold of £12,570, and the other is a basic rate taxpayer.2/8/2022
Over 100 new and revamped parks to level up towns and cities across the UK
The Levelling Up Parks Fund will create new and improved parks in urban areas, helping communities to come together and enjoy the outdoors. People in urban areas set to benefit from initiative backed by £9 million of government funding.2/8/2022
Sentiment Of Businesses And Consumers Looks Shaky
From the Fraser of Allender's Weekly update. In this week's update, we do a round up of the main releases we've been analysing during the week.2/8/2022
Still No Respite For Home Heating Oil Users
While there has been a cap on Gas and Electricity prices no such cap exists for rural area where many use heating oil for warming the house and for hot water. Whilst the price of heating oil has always fluctuated dependent on world oil prices the Ukraine war sent the prices very high.
2/8/2022
3,500 Businesses Risk Losing Ability To Import Goods
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding businesses that they must use the Customs Declaration Service for import declarations from 1 October 2022. More than 3,500 businesses risk significant delays to importing goods if they don't move to the UK's new streamlined customs system now.2/8/2022
Energy Price Prediction Worsens - Warning Winter Energy Bills To Rise By More Than Expected
Latest prediction on energy prices from October have got worse according to the latest BBC report. Typical domestic energy bills could hit more than £3,600 a year this winter, according to a new forecast.2/8/2022
The UK areas most dominated by one industry
40% of all businesses in Fermanagh and Omagh are in agriculture. Seven out of the ten areas on the list are dominated by agriculture.2/8/2022
Dr John Campbell - £70 million in fines for pharma firms
£70 million in fines for pharma firms that overcharged NHS After reassessing part of the case, the CMA has found that Pfizer and Flynn abused their dominant positions to overcharge the NHS for a life-saving epilepsy drug. Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Flynn fined £63 million and £6.7 million respectively NHS costs for the drug rose from £2 million to £50 million in a single year CMA CEO: "These firms illegally exploited their dominant positions to charge the NHS excessive prices and make more money for themselves - meaning patients and taxpayers lost out" The fines are the result of an in-depth investigation carried out by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which found that Pfizer and Flynn charged unfairly high prices for phenytoin sodium capsules for over 4 years, ultimately paid for by the NHS.
2/8/2022
World-leading UK Safety Tech Sector Sees Strong Sales And Job Growth
UK is a world leader in online safety tech, with a quarter of all firms based here. Safety tech sector's revenue is up 21 per cent in the last year, topping £381 million.2/8/2022
As Tech Giants Face A Financial Downturn, Some New Players Are Focusing On People Over Profit
The tech industry has been rocked by recent economic woes. While once thought of as close to recession proof, companies from Netflix to Meta are suddenly experiencing serious financial setbacks.2/8/2022
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 2 August 2022
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (August 2nd) sold 17 Prime Cattle. Prime Bullocks (1) averaged 257.0p per kg (+0.2p) and sold to 257.0p per kg and £1,464.90 gross.1/8/2022
Four Ways Brexit And The Loss Of Free Movement Have Made Life Harder For Mixed British-European Families
Brexit and the end of free movement between the UK and the EU has had notable consequences for family life, particularly for mixed British-European families whether they are living in the UK or Europe. Family members who before Brexit held common status as EU citizens now find they have different statuses and rights, both in the places they live and when it comes to mobility between locations.1/8/2022
How The Ukraine War Is Benefiting Russian Insurers - And Pushing Up Insurance Premiums Everywhere
An EU/UK plan to ban their insurers from providing cover to ships transporting Russian oil is causing tensions with Washington. America contends that Europe's dominance of global insurance will make it very difficult for Russia to export oil if this goes ahead, potentially pushing oil prices far higher than they are already.1/8/2022
Why Wages Should Keep Up With Inflation: The Economic Case For Getting A Pay Rise
The recent sharp rises in inflation have effectively put an end to three decades of relative price stability in the UK. The prices of most goods and services have gone up and could go even higher.1/8/2022
New Register To Crack Down On Dirty Money And Corrupt Elites In UK Goes Live
A new register being launched today will help root out corrupt elites using UK property to launder their illicit wealth. New register to flush out corrupt elites laundering money through UK property goes live today.1/8/2022
More Funding Needed For Public Sector Pay Deals
The UK Government has been urged to provide additional funding for public sector pay deals or the Scottish Government may be unable to fund equivalent offers without cuts to public services, according to Deputy First Minister John Swinney. In a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi, Mr Swinney outlines concerns that last year's UK Spending Review, which determined the majority of the current Scottish Budget, did not take into account the level of pay increase recently proposed by the independent pay review bodies.1/8/2022
Could Post-war Drive For A More Equal Society Help With Today's Cost Of Living Crisis?
In response to the cost of living crisis, the UK government has announced a number of measures - including a non-repayable rebate on energy bills for some households - to relieve the pressure from rising prices. While these are to be welcomed, they do nothing to tackle a much deeper social and livelihood crisis that has been building for decades.1/8/2022
